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UFC star Jon Jones has cleared a major legal hurdle stemming from a traffic incident in New Mexico.
Jones was facing charges in connection with accusations that he fled the scene of an accident in February. A press release obtained by Fox News Digital on Tuesday confirmed those charges had been dropped.
Tuesday also marked a scheduled bench trial appearance for the professional mixed martial artist, but the state of New Mexico filed a nolle prosequi, which formally dismissed the case.
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Jon Jones before his fight against Thiago Santos (not pictured) at T-Mobile Arena. (Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA TODAY Sports)
Jones’ attorney of record, Christopher A. Dodd, suggested the dismissal substantiated his long-held belief in his client’s innocence.
“We have been fully vindicated. From the very beginning, we explained that a woman made a false allegation against Jon in an effort to avoid being arrested for DWI, and unfortunately, the police accepted that claim without properly weighing the facts. Once the relevant documents were finally disclosed by the police department, Jon’s cell phone records made it undeniably clear that he was nowhere near the scene of the crash. We are grateful that the district attorney’s office took the time to conduct a full and fair review of this case, which ultimately confirmed Jon’s innocence.”
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Dodd added that his office continues to review the Albuquerque Police Department’s conduct leading up to and immediately after Jones’ arrest.
“At the same time, it is deeply troubling that such critical evidence was disregarded, forcing Jon to endure this ordeal unnecessarily. Our investigation into how this occurred remains ongoing.”
Jon Jones enters the ring before facing Stipe Miocic in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City, New York. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
A woman involved in a vehicle crash in February claimed Jones was driving one of the cars connected to the incident and alleged he left the scene after the wreck. The responding police officer noted the woman displayed signs of “significant intoxication.”
Jon Jones interacts with media during the UFC 247 Ultimate Media Day at the Crowne Plaza Houston River Oaks on February 06, 2020 in Houston, Texas. (Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)
At the time, Dodd vehemently denied the claim that Jones was driving a vehicle during the night in question.
“Jon was not driving that night; he wasn’t in the car,” Dodd said in a statement in June. “It appears that an intoxicated woman used a false allegation against Jon to avoid being arrested for DWI, and the police fell for it. Based on the criminal complaint, it looks like they went so far as to seek a warrant for Jon’s cell phone records while conducting a misdemeanor traffic investigation. I have never heard of such a thing.”
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Jones retired from professional competition in June. He made the decision after competing sparingly since 2020. Jones held the UFC’s undisputed title at the time he stepped away. Despite the retirement, Jones has made moves suggesting he could return to fighting in 2026.
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